The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1887-01-21

| Whether from conviction or OPPOSE
| ton, Miss Clifford embraced the police
theory, and before long her suspicion
fell on the maid OF one OF the visitors,
| who she felt convinced was at least an
accomplice. Unfortunately Tor this
poor girl, Cecil Clifford confided her
| doubts to her cousin, who in her turn
unconsciously betrayed them to the
detective, so the unlucky maid was
Immediately placed under surveil'
lance that rendered her life burden
to her, and intimately cost her her
, situation.
| Captain LIE Marchant remons trated
several times on the subject with his
Adiancee (for such she really was, though
4 the engagement was not officially
| acknowledged, but without effect.
l She somehow seemed to distrust him,
as OF late, from some cause or other,
his usual sunny temper had quite de-
serted him; his tongue had acquired
bitterness new to his friends, while his
handsome, merry face had grown to
| look worn and haggard.
i Miss Clifford, though still persisting
in her opinion, bore his structures with
gentle patience, laying the very evil
| dent temper he showed to the account
oil some money troubles that she well
knew were worrying him, but at last
he went too far, and ere their inter-
view on this occasion terminated, the
engagement between them was sum-
marily broken off by the lady.
Captain LIE Marchant never took
any steps to bring about q rec.
onciliation, which, on her side, Cecil
Clifford was far to proud to dream OF,
though what the estrangement cost
her only she could have told. All she
knew about him was that he had ex-
changed into regiment stationed in
India, and beyond one other fact she
heard no moro OF him till three or four
years later the newspapers told her
that he had Joined the army in Egypt,
and formed one OF the band sent to
the relief of Gordon and Khartoum.
Strangely enough, the one fact that
she did hear privately-namely his
having before leaving England provld-
ed for thefuture OF the poor girl who
had suffered so severely from the sus-
picions that were cast upon her about
the lost diamonds-only seemed to
render her more incensed against her
erstwhile betrothed.
Six or seven years had passed since
the burglary at Langley, when one
night toward the end of the season
Miss Clifford Miss Clifford still, in
spite OF her wealth and beauty, at q
large dinner, found herself introduced
to Colonel lie Marchant" by her
host, who, ignorant OF her previous
acquaintance, had been actuated by
u benevolent desire ito do dear old
Denis a good turn" by making him
acquainted with the heiress.
The old lovers stood for moment
face to face in silence, scrutinizing one
another, the lady secretly, though not
q trace of hard work he had under
gone escaped her; the gentleman OPEN
ly. He was the first to speak:
at is long since we met Miss
Clifford"
"Not since we were together at
Langley" she replied, softly.
Eyes, when the diamonds were stol.
en-. / wonder il that business will
ever be cleared up?"
Just then dinner was announced,
and the guests filed down in solemn
procession. Although Colonel lie
Marchant escorted Miss Clifford, her
attention was at first claimed by her
other neighbors. But when the con-
versation had become sufficiently
animated to allow OF private CONVEX
| 4
toward her and their eyes met.
"What wretched time that was"
he said softly.
"At Langley, do you mean9 Yes,
indeed it was. But was it not curious
how they found those diamonds2"
Found theml you don't say soV'h>
exclaimed, eagerly. "When? Do tell
me- please, Miss Clifford. You Gee,
only came home a few days ago and
have heard nothing"
"Ohl it is nearly year since. Sir
James was out fishing with one OF the
boys, when his line got entangled in
the branches OF an old tree which had
fallen into the river at some time. In
disentangling it they saw something
wedged IN against the trunk OF the tree
which, after little trouble, they fished
out. 1t proved to be the indentical
case in which Lady Langley kept her
diamonds, and when it was forced
open there they were safe enough, and
reports which appeared later declared
that the box must have lain there ever
since the night OF the robbery. The
theory Is that whoever stole it must
have hidden it in the river bank, mean
ing to fetch it when the fuss had blown
over, but that the current swept it
away till the tree stopped it.
"Curiousp said Cononel lie March
1